Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by triatomine bugs, isone of the most important vector-borne diseases in Latin America.

Despite an ongoing eradication campaign, transmission persists in much of the continent, particulary in the Gran Chaco where Triatoma infestans is the main vector.

The long-term goal of this project is to understand and model reinfestation and transmission processes, and to help develop scientifically designed intervention programs.

Data derived from molecular tools, satellite imagery, field observations and experiments will be integrated into GIS and mathematical models to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and epidemiological processes, to produce risk maps and predictions to evaluate and prioritize control efforts on a scientific basis.

 For more information please visit our Chagas Disease website:
  http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/vp/chagas

Financial support: This research is supported by grant (TW05836) from the National Institutes of Health through the Fogarty International Center, as part of the NIH/NSF program in Ecology of Infectious Diseases.

Participants:

University of Illinois
Uriel Kitron
Anna Schotthoefer
Roberto Cortinas
Evelin Grijalva
Janet Thornhill

University of Buenos Aires
Dr. Ricardo E. Gurtler, Co-P.I. and Dr. M. Carla Cecere, Co-I
Dr. Marinao Levin and Dr. Alefandro Shijman, Co-I's
Marta Victoria Cardinal
Paula Lorena Marcet
Judith Schachter Broide
Gonzalo Martin Vazquez Prokopec
Leonardo Adrian Ceballos
Juan Manuel Gurevitz

Rockefeller University
Dr. Joel Cohen, Co-I
Dr. Heinrich Zu Dohna

NASA Ames Research Center
Louisa R. Beck, M.S., Co-I

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Ellen M. Dotson Collaborator
Dr. C. Ben Beard - Collaborator

Ministry of Health
Dr. Sonia B. Blanco, Director, Dr. Cynthia Spillman,
Delmi Canale, Co-I's

ORSTOM
Dr. Jean-Pierre Dujardin, Co-I

Instituto Nacional de Parasitologia
Dr. Marta A. Lauricella, Co-I

San Diego State University
Dr. Art Getis

Centro de Investigaciones Epidemiologicas and
Fundacion Mundo Sano
Dr. Roberto Chuit